The South Wales Tri-Service Public Service and Joint Emergency Control Centre Tri-Service Centre Evaluation

14 May 2018

Following an issue identified by South Wales Police that the lack of a ‘joined up’ approach to emergency service provision was resulting in inefficiency and a poor response service to the public a Home Office Innovation Fund grant was awarded.

The funding has allowed for the development of an extension to the existing SWP headquarters, creating a highly cost-effective solution for a single, open-plan environment in which to locate the Tri-Service Centre.

In October 2017 the South Wales and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Services moved to the pioneering new Tri-Service Public Service and Joint Emergency Control Centre, with a seamless transfer of both police and Fire and Rescue Service systems.

The Welsh Ambulance Service presence in the centre is through a permanently resourced Clinical Desk, with four clinical staff providing a triage service for calls to police and the Fire and Rescue Service requiring an ambulance, between 15.00 – 0200hrs every night.

The Universities’ Police Science Institute (UPSI) is conducting and ongoing evaluation of South Wales Police’s innovative approach to joint blue-light service emergency control. Early findings suggest the co-location of services is already resulting in efficiencies for all three services: call handling duration has been significantly reduced, ambulances released and response police time saved.